An Imperfect Christmas
by No one of interest
Summary: Katie Gardner, summer camper of Camp Half-Blood, has returned to camp on Christmas Eve to discover a Demeter tradition she didn't know of, the continued immaturity of her brother, and a curious Stoll. Oneshot.


Christmas Eve is most certainly a tumultuous time in Camp Half-Blood. Mr. D, annoyed with the demigods as usual, had allowed a miniature blizzard to be whipped up. The lovesick satyrs were busy chasing the nymphs and naiads alike, and most of the campers holed up in their cabins against the cold. Of course, the two children of Khione were relishing the snow and biting wind, but that was just to be expected. Johanna Reston, daughter of Aphrodite, wrapped herself in a stylish black peacoat with a knitted scarf guarding her face. Head down, she trudged through the snowdrifts to Cabin Four to knock on the door.

Hanna Fields opened the door, half of her chestnut hair in a plait, the other half halfway through the braid. She blinked her wide eyes. "Hi."

"Hey Hanna, mind if I come in?" Johanna queried, rubbing her gloved hands together.

"Come on in," Hanna beckoned, standing aside. Johanna gratefully stepped into the warmth, surveying her surroundings. She wasn't surprised by what greeted her; like classic Demeter children, Cabin Four was nursing an army of poinsettias, along with several blooming evergreens decked out in tinsel and candy canes. The beds were lined against the walls, the trunks tucked in tidily beneath them, save for one. Johanna was surprised to see Katie Gardner there, clad in apparel similar to her own to ward off the chill of the night air, kneeling in front of her trunk.

"Katie, what are you doing here? Don't you go home for the school year?" Johanna inquired, tilting her head.

"Not anymore," Katie sighed, changing the topic. "Anyways, is there anything you need?"

Johanna shrugged. "Mistletoe." She grinned faintly.

"Wow, I would have never guessed!" Katie chuckled. "Val, be a dear and get some mistletoe growing, would you? Joe, get something to transport it in."

"Righty-o, Captain," Joe nodded, sliding off of his bed. He gave her a sympathetic look, stepping around behind the trees that served as a partition to the back part of the cabin. Johanna took Katie's arm and looked at her curiously.

"Why are you here, Katie?"

Katie's eyes were downcast, her reply nearly inaudible. "Because everyone spends Christmas at home, Jo." Sucking in a deep breath, she regained her composure. "So how much mistletoe do you guys need?"

"A sizeable amount, to be sure. We're going to have to be up early tomorrow to pin these around camp."

"Why didn't you put the mistletoe up sooner then?" Katie queried, tilting her head. She took off hood, freeing her dark brown ringlets. "Wouldn't that have made it easier?"

Johanna rolled her eyes. "One would think so! Yvette disagrees. She believes that it's more romantic to have the mistletoe only on Christmas. Plus, that way people don't know where to go to avoid it."

"Oh, that's just sneaky," Katie shook her head. "I'll just not go out tomorrow. That's my big plan," She decided. "I'll just save myself the paranoia."

"Well, then who else would decorate the camp?" Johanna giggled.

"Wait, am I supposed to do that?" Katie's dark green eyes widened.

"Oh, right… You don't know these things…" Johanna fumbled for a bit. "Well, luckily you can delegate the job to Miranda."

"Yes, yes I suppose I can," Katie replied distractedly.

Val and Joe came forward, each holding a tray with a bright yellow cloth covering it. Joe placed his down, donning his overcoat and yanking on his snow boots. "Be back in a flash, Katie." Val passed her tray to Johanna, and Joe accompanied her out the door into the storm.

* * *

"Katie, wake up!" Katie opened her eyes blearily to see Joe shaking her. She glanced over at the clock she had hung on the wall, choosing her words carefully, speaking each one deliberately.

"Joe. It is five-thirty in the morning. Why, in the name of Demeter, am I awake right now?"

"Because it's Christmas!" Joe's hazel eyes were in puppy-dog mode.

Katie groaned, sitting up. "You're fifteen. I would expect this from Hanna, being in the age demographic that this behavior generally occurs in."

Joe knit his eyebrows together. "What…?"

Val sighed. "He's like this every year, Katie. And you lost him when you started using the big words."

"You get used to it," Hanna put in, blinking innocently from her bunk next to Katie. "I think that I got Joe's extra eight years of maturity."

"That would explain his actions," Katie admitted, rubbing her eyes. "Okay, so is there a reason that I'm supposed to stay up?"

"We have to decorate the camp," Val reminded her, brushing her hair back into a ponytail.

"Right, right. Why do we have to decorate the camp? Aren't we supposed to be off duty during winter?" Katie grumbled, swinging herself out of bed.

"Because Miranda got swindled into it by Orion," Hanna answered, grinning.

"Hush, child," Miranda raised her head from her pillow, placing a finger to her lips. "They don't need to know these things."

"Oh dear, it's not your fault that you fell for his sexiness. Children of Aphrodite have that effect," Val reassured her sympathetically.

"Now get your ass out of bed, you're on charge of dragging the sled with all of the poinsettias for us," Joe instructed, crossing his arms. The rest of the cabin was sound asleep, being used to such noise at this time from Joe.

"Well then," Miranda propped herself up, running a hand through her tangled hair. "Joe, haven't we been over the whole censor-your-language spiel before?"

"Okay, just get whoever's decorating the camp up or whatever," Katie instructed, choosing out her clothes for the upcoming day. "Just of curiosity, do you know why Johanna wanted the mistletoe if we're the ones who decorate?"

"The Aphrodite cabin wants to know where all of the mistletoe is," Val replied, shrugging on her rose-colored jacket. "This way we can't avoid it."

"Well that's just stupid."

"Again, it's the Aphrodite cabin," Val pointed out. "Can we really expect more?"

"One can always expect more; it's just a matter of the disappointment concerning the failure of the recipient to accomplish what is expected of them."

"… What?"

"Joe, shut up. The rest of us are having a thoughtful moment of reflection on that."

"Jeez, Val..."

* * *

Six AM found the Demeter cabin trudging through the snow, grumbling about the inconvenience it caused them. Miranda was dragging a small sled with poinsettias behind her, with Joe making sure they were secured properly. Hanna was attempting to pull a sled too. However, she was failing miserably because the sled outsized her two to one.

"So where do these generally go?" Katie questioned, taking control of Hanna's sled for her.

"We put two flanking each door of the cabins and stock the Big House and dining pavilion." Val explained. "You and Hanna will get the cabins; Eli and Martin are on the dining pavilion; Ryan and Della are decorating our cabin; Joe, Val, and I are on the Big House."

"I'm starting to wish that I didn't have to come back for Christmas," Katie sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm really sorry about that again," Val rubbed Katie's arm comfortingly. "It must really suck."

"Ah, well, it's my burden to bear. See you are breakfast," Katie broke off from the group, Hanna tagging along. At Cabin Ten, Aphrodite, they ran into Johanna about to step inside.

"Oh, hey guys! How are you doing?" Johanna grinned, beckoning them inside. The cloying scent of perfume drifted out of the cabin, but the promise of warmth overrode Katie's desire to put as much distance between the smell and her as possible.

"We're overwhelmed by a wish to sleep properly," Katie replied, stepping inside. The walls were a violent pink, the floor distressingly clean in comparison to the Demeter cabin's floor. Granted, most of that was Joe's fault.

"Still bitter then?"

"A bit. So why are you guys out at this hour of the morning?" Katie inquired, readjusting her scarf. She didn't bother taking anything off, knowing that she would have to leave soon as it is.

"Bringing good cheer to all," Johanna jested jovially. "In other words, hanging the mistletoe around camp."

"Ah, that would do it."

"Yes indeed. So which cabins do you have left?"

Hanna piped in, saying, "Dionysus and Hermes," She blinked owlishly. "Katie didn't plan out the route very well."

"No one's accused me of having a good sense of direction before," Katie offered defensively.

"Well, why don't you let me take the two over to Dionysus's cabin? Hanna can be my helper. I need to check that they've been working on the cider, anyways," Johanna suggested, searching her face for flaws that simply weren't there.

"Oh, would you?" Katie grinned in relief. "I really need to finish organizing my things as it is."

"It's no problem," Johanna moved to the door, putting her hood up to guard against the cold. "Ready, Hanna?"

"Yes ma'am," Hanna replied sweetly. Johanna opened the door, causing a gust of wind to blow in. Katie winced.

"Why is it that I really don't want to go out into that?"

"I have no idea whatsoever," Johanna grinned wryly, leading the band of three out. The sky was beginning to give the faintest semblance of day, the last traces of night fading away. "We'd better hurry up. The kids will probably be pestering their cabin awake."

"See, we have a Joe for that," Katie laughed, handing Hanna a poinsettia while Johanna picked hers up. Katie began dragging the lightened sled across the forum, pulling up in front of the weathered cabin. Unsurprisingly, the lights were off and the sound of snoring drifted from the cabin. Katie kneeled in the doorway, arranging one of the poinsettias so that it looked appealing. Unfortunately, the Cabin Eleven's door opened outward, which meant that when a certain Travis Stoll pushed it open he knocked Katie into the snow. "Oh, this is just what I needed!" She exclaimed in exasperation, trying to push herself up on loosely packed snow.

Travis stepped out, blinking snowflakes out of his eyes. "Wait, was there a person there?"

"Yes, and now there's a person here," Katie responded crossly, managing to stand up. Her jeans were thoroughly soaked, her knee-length jacket now useless against the frigidness. "Although my most likely newfound pneumonia probably wants to change that."

"Wait…" Travis frowned, walking up to Katie. "Katie Gardner? What are you doing here? I thought that you went to school during the school year," He tilted his head in confusion, eyebrows knit.

"Yes, and now I don't," Katie replied quickly, as if saying it in a rush was better than enunciating the words properly. "Funny how that works."

Travis frowned. "But why?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does."

Katie shot him a glare. "You're right, it does matter. Just not to you."

"Why not?"

"Why not?" Katie gritted her teeth together. "Because you're the insensitive asshole who just knocked me into the snow, which really is _not_ a recommended method for getting someone into the holiday spirit by the way, and then you're not even concerned about the fact that you've set me on the fast track to freezing to death," Katie spat. "So that is why not, Stoll."

"My deepest apologies, Miss Gardner," Travis swept into a dramatic bow. "Let me assist you with that."

"What? I don't—Oh, gods!" Travis picked up Katie, bridal style, and began trudging across the snow. "What are you doing?"

"Being concerned about your health, Katie. That's why I didn't take you into my cabin," Travis nodded for emphasis. "You need to dry off in the warmth."

"And I can't walk?"

"Sh. I was being dramatic. Just let the moment be." Travis responded, arriving at the Demeter cabin. Della was outside, wrapping garland around the door while Ryan was putting the finishing touches on three wreaths.

"Katie? Travis?" Della queried incredulously, her red locks hanging in her eyes. She shoved them back impatiently. "What are you doing here?"

"Ensuring that Katie here does not meet her end due to freezing to death," Travis replied cheerily.

"And why is she not walking then?"

"I was being a gentleman! Why no one gets that, I don't know…" Travis grumbled. "Mind getting the door for me?" Della, shaking her head, pulled it open, standing aside as Travis stepped in. "Thanks, Della."

"Can you just put me down now?" Katie questioned crossly.

"As you wish," Travis set her down gently. "May I take your coat, my lady?"

"Really? Still trying to be someone you aren't?" Katie sighed, shedding her drenched layers.

Travis cocked his head in curiosity as he relieved her of the coat and scarf. "Are you implying that I'm not a gentleman?"

"Only because you aren't."

"Quite the contrary."

"What I've seen so far would suggest otherwise," Katie arched an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"You see what you want to see, Katie. We all do. You think that it's easier to think that I'm about as far from a gentleman as one can be just because of some of my actions. You've ignored the good and focused on the bad." Travis spread the garments on the radiator, pivoting around slowly to face Katie. "For example, did you ever think that I would be intelligent enough to say that?"

"No, stop it Stoll. I don't need any more change right now, I'm warning you," Katie pointed her finger at Travis in an attempt to be threatening. "You need to be your immature self, I have had enough surprises for a Christmas as it is!"

"Let's make a deal then," Travis offered, taking a step closer. "Tell me why you're sad."

"I'm not sad."

Travis moved in so that there was an inch between the two of them. He looked down at her in curiosity. "Tell me why you're lying about your feelings then."

"Lying is a term used when one has recognized the issue," Katie retorted on a breath.

"Something happened. Something terrible," Travis began to circle Katie, snapping his fingers together softly. "Something that was bad enough to drive you back to camp. But you wouldn't do that unless it was absolutely necessary," He stopped, her back to him. Katie's green eyes were closed, her brown locks loose and spilling over her cardigan. "Katie," Travis's voice was barely a whisper. "what happened to your father?"

Katie bent her head, squeezing her arms around her as if she could hug herself to make everything better. "N-Nothing. He's fine, Travis. You guessed wrong," She inhaled a shaky breath.

"All the episodes of Doctor Who and Sherlock that Connor and I have watched say differently."

"He died," Katie snapped shortly, her voice devoid of emotion. "Okay? You've figured it out, are you happy now?"

"Katie, I never said that finding out why you're back would make me happy," Travis turned her shoulder around gently until she was facing him. "I just knew that you had to say it so you could begin to feel happy again."

"That's ridiculous," Katie muttered. "Why are you even here, Stoll? This is so… out of character for you."

"Well, I couldn't let you be unique by yourself, could I? That would make you awfully lonely," Travis shrugged. "And no one should be lonely after what you've gone through. Especially not on Christmas."

"That is surprisingly deep and profound…" Katie raised an eyebrow. "Who are you and what have you done with Travis Stoll?"

Travis grinned at her. "Amazing what opening your eyes can do, eh? Makes you see things you've never seen before."

"Indeed," Katie agreed, nodding. She stood up on her toes and gave Travis a quick peck on the cheek, pointing to the ceiling, tacking on. "Both metaphorically and physically."

"Did you guys hang that there then?" Travis queried, eyeing the mistletoe appreciatively.

Katie shook her head. "No. The Aphrodite cabin hangs the mistletoe."

Outside the window, Johanna gave Hanna a pat on the head. "See? I told you. Katie just needed someone bold enough to get her to open up."

"But they aren't even friends," Hanna commented, blinking in confusion.

Johanna shrugged, starting to walk away. "Maybe not now," She grinned. "Give it time though; they just need to get over the shock of meeting the real others. They'll be friends soon enough, mark my words."

* * *

**Hey guys! So here's a little Christmas story for you- And there is still fifteen minutes of Christmas here, so it is a Christmas story- that I thought you might enjoy. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me if you liked it, didn't like it, your favorite character, and what I could have done better. Thanks!**


End file.
